5 Unsolved Mysteries of Qin Shi Huang's Tomb

Emperor Shi Huang was the first person in history to unify China after destroying six vassal states, laying the foundation for more than 2,000 years of Chinese territory. He was also the emperor who created an unprecedented feudal autocracy, along with famous constructions such as the Great Wall and Qin Zhidao. Even his mausoleum has become a miracle for thousands of years.

Until now, the tomb of Qin Shi Huang is still intact at the foot of Ly Son mountain, not yet fully explored, making it even more mysterious. So what are the 5 unsolved mysteries of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang?

Simulation image for Qin Shi Huang's tomb

The Mystery of the Curse of the Terracotta Warriors

Legend has it that Xiang Yu mobilized 400,000 men to dig the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, then was cursed and eventually died at the hands of the "terracotta warriors".

The five cavalrymen who killed Xiang Yu on the banks of the Wu River were all Qin people, born in the Guanzhong region, soldiers of the old Qin army, and they were all prototypes of the terracotta warriors. Therefore, there is a theory that this army carried a “curse” of death for those who had the action of disturbing the “sleep” of Qin Shi Huang.

The Mystery of Mercury in the Underground Palace

Whether or not mercury was present in the underground palace has always been a matter of debate. Records of mercury date back to the "Historical Records" and "Book of Han," but no one has actually experienced it.

With the development of science and technology, geologists Thuong Dung and Ly Dong Tien came to collect samples twice. After many tests, they discovered that the central area had an unusually high mercury content, with an area of about 12,000 square meters. According to records, Qin Shi Huang wanted to use this mercury to create large and small rivers to prevent tomb robbers from entering.

But this is also what makes it difficult for archaeologists to explore the tomb.

The "terracotta warriors" army protects the tomb.

Qin Shi Huang's body is intact?

The "female corpse" excavated at Mawangdui during the Han Dynasty was so well preserved for 2,000 years that it astounded researchers.

The Qin and Han dynasties were not far apart, the Han dynasty could do it, Qin Shi Huang with such great power could also do the same. Therefore, many people believe that his body would also be preserved completely like that.

Qin Shi Huang died while on a tour. His remains were not processed in time, so on the way back to the capital Xianyang, Zhao Gao had to use fish to cover up the stench. Therefore, there are opinions that the probability of Qin Shi Huang's original body is very low.

How deep is Qin Shi Huang's tomb?

Archaeological survey data show that the actual length of the underground palace of the Qin Mausoleum is 260m from east to west and 160m from north to south, with a total area of 41,600m2. The underground palace of Qin Shi Huang is the largest underground palace in the Qin and Han dynasties, its scale is equivalent to five international football fields.

According to the latest data, this underground palace is not as deep as people imagine. The actual depth is close to the depth of the tomb in Qin Gong Tomb No. 1, Zhiyang. Calculated in this way, the actual depth from the mouth of the underground palace to the bottom is about 26 meters, and the deepest point on the surface during the Qin Dynasty was about 37 meters.

The Mystery of the Burning of the Terracotta Warriors

When excavating the Terracotta Warriors Pits No. 1 and 2, people found a large amount of traces of fire. For a long time, two different opinions have emerged regarding this incident. One is that the Terracotta Warriors pits contained wood and other organic matter, which over time produced methane gas and spontaneously combusted. The other is that it was man-made.

In June 2009, after the third excavation, archaeologists discovered that the north-south corridor running through the western part of the excavation site, connecting to the northern doorway, had been deformed, discolored, and burned in some places. The terracotta warriors were broken into pieces before the fire.

Due to the different locations and sizes of the flames, the colors are also different. The burned statues are mainly located in ventilated places such as corridors, and the damage is also more serious than other places, indicating that the fire was caused by humans.

Based on historical records, Xiang Yu was the most suspected person, because he and Qin Shi Huang had a deep hatred. After burning down the Afang Palace and Xianyang City, Xiang Yu was still angry and sent a large army to excavate and burn down the tomb.

Ngo Nhung (Source: Sohu, Sina)

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